The Long Shadow of Addiction-Related Nostalgia: Nostalgia Predicts Ambivalence and Undermines the Benefits of Optimism in Recovery

Abstract

Background: Previous research has shown that nostalgia for the pre-addicted self can motivate people living with addiction to engage in behavior change. Objective: Herein, we explored nostalgia for the addictive behavior—labeled addiction-related nostalgia (ARN)—among people in recovery from engaging in addictive behavior. We tested the novel idea that ARN is positively associated with ambivalence about recovery. We also hypothesized that ARN may counteract the positive influence of optimism on individuals’ commitment to recovery. Results: In two studies involving individuals in recovery from a gambling (Study 1; N=301) or alcohol use disorder (Study 2; N=604), ARN was linked to increased ambivalence about recovery, while optimism was associated with decreased ambivalence. As expected, the interaction between optimism and ARN revealed that nostalgia either eliminated (Study 1) or reduced (Study 2) the negative relation between optimism and ambivalence. Conclusions: These findings underscore the challenges posed by ARN in the recovery process and emphasize the importance of interventions that address and mitigate its impact while considering the moderating role of optimism.